The Shepherdstown Opera House was built in 1909 by then mayor, U.S. Martin. That same year, it was sold to the Musser family, who installed one of the earliest motion picture projectors. The Opera House ran nightly, often showing as many as three different films each week. In 1928, the Opera House became the first motion picture theater in West Virginia with sound, enabling it to show the newfangled “talkies.”

The Mussers closed the Opera House in 1956, and it sat dark and silent until being purchased by Pam and Rusty Berry in 1989. After an extensive renovation, Pam and Rusty reopened the Opera House in February of 1992, and began showing American independent and foreign films. In 2004, they added new lighting and sound systems to accommodate live musical and theatrical performances onstage.

In October 2010, Lawrence and Julie Cumbo purchased the building and business with a vision to take it to the next level. As a filmmaker, Lawrence wanted to preserve the theater’s cinematic tradition, but he knew music had to be another cornerstone of Opera House culture. Since then, continual light and sound system upgrades, an expanded back stage, and a revamped green room has allowed this vision to grow into one of the area’s finest music and film venues.

Operating as both Owner and Entertainment Director at the Opera House, Cumbo cut his teeth in his early twenties at the Southeast Center for Photographic Studies, in Daytona Beach, FL, after growing up a self-proclaimed shutterbug.

For the past five and a half years, Cumbo has shaped the Opera House into one of the premier venues in the tri-state area for music, cinema, and even sporting events.

We sat down with him recently to get a sense for what his purpose has been for the Opera House, and what the future holds.

“We purchased the Opera House on October 29, 2010,” he said. “Our original motivation was to turn it into a community-based theater offering live music, performing arts, and fine films—and to create a uniquely historic and intimate place to entertain people in Shepherdstown and beyond.”

That initial vision has evolved for Cumbo over the years, beginning with his having to change the focus from being a movie theater—due to the inability of booking newly released films to a single-screen theater. “Because of the change in studios making less films, and distributors buying less independent films,” he explained, “we’ve evolved to hosting major film festivals throughout the years, including our new film series, Rusty Mondays, which is devoted to Rusty Berry.”

Cumbo emphasizes that, while the evolution did alter the initial theater vision, the adaptation to music has served the Opera House well. “Fortunately, we are also becoming a destination for Grammy-winning and international artists playing weekly on our stage. We’re a live venue in the heart of Shepherdstown, where you’ll find everything from bluegrass to burlesque to big-screen films.”

Pic by Seth Freeman Photography

Operated by a general manager and six additional staff members, Cumbo takes great pride in seeing to it that his Opera House has essentially come full-circle.

“Ironically the Opera House today is doing what the original owners did in 1910, providing a place for artists to perform live in a building built for live entertainment,” he noted. “The Opera house was closed for many decades before Rusty and Pam reopened the doors as a movie theater in 1992. We feel proud to carry on the torch in keeping it as an iconic landmark in Shepherdstown. Our team works very hard to make sure our performing artists and audiences experience a memorable night in Shepherdstown.”

Cumbo also takes a lot of satisfaction in being able to open up the venue to the community. “I personally love it when we open our doors for a community event, like the U.S. Women’s World Cup, our Annual Toys for Tots Star Wars Benefit, and fundraisers that might assist a community member, or the community as a whole. And it’s nice to see our local bars, restaurants, and shops being visited by people coming out to see our shows.”

As far as what the future holds for the Opera House, Cumbo looks to the present, and advises fans to expect even more. “Today, we’re bringing in talent that you only find in big metro areas like Baltimore and D.C. Folks in this area have the luxury of literally going for a walk or a short drive to be up close and personal with Grammy-winning artists.

“As far as the future, we also want to become a place where people choose to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and even corporate events. We’re a full-service venue for everything from catered affairs to sweet-sixteen birthday parties.”

— Located at 131 W. German Street, in Shepherdstown, you can peruse the Opera House website and/or Opera House LIVE on Facebook for all up-coming news, entertainment, events, and bookings at the Shepherdstown Opera House.